Considering Running Wizard (Read 210 times)

dirtroadrunner

posted: 4/29/2013 at 1:32 PM

I made my own training plan for my next 1/2 but was considering RW. I noticed that on the sample plan it has all the runs at a pace much slower than I am currently running. What are the thoughts on this plan? Maybe I do need to slow down some? I mostly run about 10:30 pace on training runs. Long runs are around 11-11:30. Race at 9:18-9:30. I am working on getting fitter. Still need to drop 20#.

I made my own training plan for my next 1/2 but was considering RW. I noticed that on the sample plan it has all the runs at a pace much slower than I am currently running. What are the thoughts on this plan? Maybe I do need to slow down some? I mostly run about 10:30 pace on training runs. Long runs are around 11-11:30. Race at 9:18-9:30. I am working on getting fitter. Still need to drop 20#.

Your pace looks fine. Mileage weekly / monthly is the issue. Are you injured? What is with all the planned races? Looks like you will be going from 30 miles a month to 30 miles a week. Appears to be an injure waiting to happen.

Run until the trail runs out.

SCHEDULE 2016--

The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

Suggestion. Go for a 1 mile run 4 days a week. Just 1 mile not a step more. In a month you will add 20 miles to your monthly total. In 12 weeks you will have 60 extra mileages on your base.

PS: I do like the plan for not having any speed work. Built a base first.

Run until the trail runs out.

SCHEDULE 2016--

The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

unsolicited chatter

Suggestion. Go for a 1 mile run 4 days a week. Just 1 mile not a step more. In a month you will add 20 miles to your monthly total. In 12 weeks you will have 60 extra mileages on your base.

PS: I do like the plan for not having any speed work. Built a base first.

So the 1 mile in addition to my own made up plan?

zonykel

posted: 4/29/2013 at 2:53 PM

For $40, you can't go wrong with RW. You enter some info, like how many days a week you want to run, a recent race result, and I can't remember what else.

it then spits out a customized schedule based on your inputs (you can preview a portion of it before buying).

I'm in my last week of training (race is this Saturday). Here is my feedback:

- the program is well-balanced. You run different workouts throughout the week.

- RW progresses nicely and safely. Yes, it does feel a little slow at first, but I was able to increase my mileage compared to my previous efforts. I had no major issues with injuries.

- you have recovery indicators based on your sleep and waking heart rate. You'll know when to take it easy.

- overall, I liked the fact that I didn't have to think about how to build my program (which you'd have to do with many schedules provided in books).

JML

posted: 4/29/2013 at 3:06 PM

+1 on everything Zonykel said. I am in my second Running Wizard training cycle (first a half marathon and now a 5K) and it is an excellent plan. It is a well balanced approach that will safely prepare you to run a solid race.

I just finished a Running Wizard plan and I have to say that I loved it. The great thing about it is that you can plug in all of your own data and it will customize the plan to you, so if you have a sample plan that has paces slower than what you are used to, then it probably has a reason for that. Also, Running Wizard gives you a range of paces to run, so you can run at the slow end or the fast end of the range for each run. Running Wizard builds you up from where you are to where you want to be,first by building your base then adding strength and finally adding speed, it's a great plan and gave me a thirty second 5K PR this April!

Longboat

Letting off steam

posted: 4/29/2013 at 3:35 PM

Nobby hasn't mentioned it (AFAIK), but a Running Wizard program had at least one spectacular success at Boston.

I am currently using a RW plan just to take me from running 30 minutes as a LR to a bit over an hour. I love that it has a variety of different runs during the week and that I am progressing without getting injured. In the past, when I've tried to increase my running time, I've ended up with shin splints or other issues that ultimately ended up in a major setback. I love RW and will absolutely try another plan from there. When you enter your info and it gives you your sample, if you think the paces are really far off, maybe try a time trial to give yourself a different time to enter and see if it gives you paces you'd expect. A big basis of the Lydiard plan is slow, aerobic running though.

dirtroadrunner

posted: 4/29/2013 at 7:15 PM

Ok! I'm sold!! I do my first 1/2 in a couple weeks and next at the end of September. This first one frankly will be rough and it's on a plan I made. So what's to lose? Thank you everyone!!

DDXD

Slower than I look

posted: 4/29/2013 at 7:57 PMmodified: 4/29/2013 at 7:58 PM

I am basically in a similar position and also decided to give the running wizard training plan a shot. I just started the first day today (5 miles easy fartlek). The suggested paces are a lot slower than my current easy paces but that's because they are based on my recent HM that I ran in 2:09: xx. The problem is that I ran a good portion of that race at an easy effort and I ran it with only a small base. Due to the fact that I'm still in that honeymoon aerobic base building period, and steadily increasing miles, my easy pace is still dropping pretty quickly.

So basically I've decided to just run by effort but follow the time guidelines for aerobic runs. For example, I'll run 120 minutes for my long run and just let my long run effort for that day decide how far that actually ends up being. If someone thinks this is a bad idea, feel free to let me know. I just don't know that I'd really enjoy running as much if I was always trying to hit a pace range regardless of how I feel or what the conditions are that day.

The Running Wizard user group is pretty active and there are lots of good thoughts on this same issue DDXD and basically we all agreed that time was more important than pace, you might also want to do a time trial and then see if they can adjust for you

FWIW, I am about 16 weeks into a 24-week RW marathon plan. The various phases of the plan build on each other, and it's pretty cool to be doing things I didn't think I was capable of prior to starting this plan.

Supersono99

posted: 4/30/2013 at 6:58 PM

DDXD, that's what I do as well. I run the duration listed at the effort described. The pace/distance just happens and doesn't necessarily match what's listed.